Fireworks
by Mylaea
Summary: *Chapter 2 uploaded!* Hermione is assigned a detention with Professor Snape. Furious, she accidentally adds something to her potion and it explodes. Her Time Turner activates and they find themselves in a rather different situation...
1. That Fateful Detention

I'm in a great and goofy mood because I just broke up with my boyfriend- he was a real jerk to me but I didn't see it. Anyway, as I'm writing this I have no idea what I'm going to write about... *looks over at brother and neighbor pulling out and "dude!"ing over fireworks and gets a storyline idea* Onward!  
  
I don't own Harry Potter.  
  
"Good Dakota... good.... don't bite my hand off or rip up my face.... good Dakota...." -Adam, this "muy caliente" dude I work with trying to get a dog's collar off.  
  
*First Chapter Celebratory Second Quote* "You mean it got dead?" - My mother, talking about a fish. (And you wonder why my stories are the way they are- it's genetic.)  
  
~*~  
  
"Ooh, come on, guys, let's go in there!" Hermione exclaimed, taking Harry and Ron's arms and dragging them into the wizard pet store. Harry, Ron and Hermione were shopping around during their first trip to Hogsmeade as seventh years. Ron rolled his eyes as Hermione exclaimed over the puppies. Harry looked out the window and called Ron over. "Hey, Ron, let's go to your brothers' store. They have new fireworks in!" Ron nodded and told Hermione to come on and stop drooling over the little fuzzballs.  
  
They walked into F&G's Prank Palace and were greeted by the twins, older now, but still the same fun-loving guys they always were. Fred waltzed up to Hermione and put his arm around her, casually saying, "So, Herm, haven't seen you since the beginning of this year. You're looking even better, girl."  
  
Hermione laughed lightly. "It's only been two months, Fred," she said, taking his arm off of her shoulder. Fred shook his head as she walked over to where George, Harry and Ron were. He remembered how she used to be- uptight, with bushy hair and a body so flat the walls were jealous. Now she was the complete opposite: a young woman in every way. He went back to the storeroom, grinning at the thought of no matter which lucky bloke won her heart, it wouldn't be him- they were like sister and brother: it wouldn't work out.  
  
"Hermione?" Ron called, waving his hand in front of her face. She was gazing dreamily at the barrel of fireworks, her eyes glazed over and a dopey grin on her face. George snapped his fingers in front of her and she came out of her reverie. "Sorry guys, but I love fireworks- the sound of the explosion and the flash of the light. It's so... magical." She grinned sheepishly, and the guys just sighed.  
  
  
  
"So you're saying it's his ultra-tight whitie-tighties that makes him so nasty. I figured it was the boll weevil that had crawled up his, um... sleeve."  
  
Hermione made a face. Harry and Ron were debating what made Snape so nasty as they were walking to see the very person they were talking about. Even up to their seventh year they had Potions with the Slytherins. Hermione didn't really mind Snape- after all, he has plenty to be nasty about. Voldemort had been defeated their sixth year, but Snape still had a very horrific past.  
  
They walked into the classroom and took their seats. Snape appeared before them, his arms crossed and his face drawn into the oh-so-familiar sneer. "Potter, I want you to sit by Goyle. Weasley, go sit on the left side of Parkinson. Malfoy, sit here by this thing," he said silkily. Harry and Ron moved, grumbling, while Malfoy came and sat by Hermione, looking as if he'd been asked to eat his own feces.  
  
  
  
Hermione rushed down the stairs to the dungeons. She was five minutes late to her detention. Malfoy had sabotaged her potion but of course Snape thought she was being impertinent and presented her with a detention. Hermione hurriedly tucked the Time Turner down the front of her robs. She had decided to use it again, this being her seventh year and she wanted to get as many classes in as possible. Swallowing nervously, she pushed open the door to the Potions classroom.  
  
"Professor Snape?" she called. Snape came into the room and pointed to a cauldron with some supplies next to it. "You're late, but no matter. You are to make some Floo Powder to replenish the school's supply. The instructions are on page 64 of your book." Hermione mentally smacked herself. "Professor Snape, sir, I left my book in my dormitory. I didn't think I'd need it for detention," she said sheepishly.  
  
Snape sneered nastily. "So for once the smart, organized, perfect (he practically spat out the word) Head Girl doesn't have her things. If you weren't so busy simpering over Mister Weasley, you might be prepared. Twenty points from Gryffindor and get started on the Floo Powder."  
  
Hermione furiously stormed over to the cauldron and started throwing ingredients in. She already knew how to make Floo Powder, but she liked to have her book with her just to make sure. The nerve of that man! Hermione was so irritated she didn't pay attention when she added the dragon's tooth that someone had left on the desk. She sighed and sat back to let the potion simmer for a few minutes. She looked around, wondering where Professor Snape was. Hermione didn't see him- she thought he was grading papers at his desk but he wasn't there. Turning back to her potion, she discovered it was a rather ugly shade of green.  
  
"Well, Miss Granger," said a cool, silky voice behind her, "it seems as if you've done it again and ruined your potion." Hermione angrily turned around. Suddenly the potion started bubbling violently. It glowed red and without making a sound, it promptly exploded. Hermione and Snape were doused with the liquid. Hermione felt a warm sensation on her chest. She looked down and noted with surprise that her Time Turner was glowing through her robes.  
  
"Um, Professor Snape?"  
  
~*~ 


	2. Here we are in... Ancient China?!?

Who owns Harry Potter? J.K. Rowling. Who owns nothing? Me.  
  
Sorry, no exciting updates of my life. Better luck next time!  
  
"How could you not like Hermione/Snape?" "I just don't." "Come on. They're the perfect couple. Why don't you like it?" "Fine. It's so unlikely. It would never happen in a million years, so that's why it's stupid." "And like Hermione/Sirius isn't?" "Shut up. I never said that." - My best friend BB and I talking on the phone. No offense to all of your Hermione/Sirius shippers, but as the great Strega Brava would say, he's too much of a scallywag for our Miss Granger.  
  
~*~ Hermione winced and rolled over. There seemed to be sunlight in her eyes and nice, friendly, hard ground underneath her. She barely had time to wonder why she was outside when a pair of hands grasped her by her shoulders and shook her. She heard Professor Snape's voice curtly saying, "get up, Miss Granger. We have no time for laying around." Hermione grimaced. She opened her eyes and looked straight into his midnight black, gold-flecked ones. Professor Snape leaned back and nudged her with his boot. She groaned and sat up. She noted that there were rudimentary stone walls behind and on either side of her with open sky above her. It seemed to be an alley of some sort.  
  
"Where are we?" asked Hermione nervously. Looking annoyed, Professor Snape kneeled in front of her. "We seem to be in Kijani, China," he said, "in the year 905 A.D." Hermione laughed hysterically. "I never thought you were capable of joking, Professor," she said between giggles. "No, really, where are we?"  
  
Professor Snape just gazed at her steadily, with no sign of humor on his features. He said, "I've made arrangements for a place where we can stay. An elderly couple has agreed to let us live with them for free- but I had to tell them we are newlyweds whose parents didn't accept us so we had to run away. They will give us free food as well. I will get a job to save up for Floo Powder and hopefully get us back to our own time. Seeing as these are more old fashioned times you will be expected to help the elderly woman with the household chores such as the cooking and cleaning. A Mudblood like yourself should have no problem with that."  
  
He turned and began to walk away. Hermione ran after him and pulled his arm. He turned and said, "We're going to their home now." Hermione shook her head. "No, that's not what I wanted to know. I will play the role of your wife, Professor, but let's at least try to be civil to each other, all right?"  
  
Snape just turned and walked away.  
  
  
  
Hermione stood next to Snape, smiling sheepishly. They had just come into the home of the couple they would be staying with. The old woman kindly smiled at them, her eyes twinkling warmly. The man cleared his throat and said something in Mandarin Chinese. Snape replied fluently. "I'm sorry, but my wife doesn't know Mandarin Chinese very well. She's from another country."  
  
Hermione laughed lightly and reached over, taking Snape's hand.  
  
"You must excuse my dear husband. He loves to joke. I give you both many thanks for letting us stay with you." Much to Snape's amazement, she spoke in perfect Mandarin. The couple smiled and the man took Snape aside while the woman led Hermione to the kitchen.  
  
"Sir, your wife is young, but I know you two will be happy together. You know, my wife and I were just around your ages when we were married. Your wife is very, very beautiful and there's a spark of intelligence to her. Now, I own a carpentering business, and if you would like, I can hire you." Snape nodded while offhandedly thinking the old man had sketched an accurate description of Miss Granger.  
  
  
  
"Hello, dear. My name is Kina Yuuki, but call me Pearly. My husband is Hitori Yuuki, and you can call him Ling. I must say your husband and yourself look absolutely perfect together. You two make a wonderful match, and he is a handsome man." The old woman stopped and put her hand to her head. "Oh, how rude of me! Mrs. Snape, I must let yourself and Mr. Snape see your living quarters."  
  
Hermione followed Pearly to where the men were standing, having a discussion, feeling more than a little odd at being called "Mrs. Snape". They all climbed a ladder and stood on a small landing in front of a door. The couple explained that their house was an old barn, and that "your room is the loft". They left to let Hermione and Snape get settled in. Hermione walked in the room and gasped.  
  
The big, spacious room was full of cheerfulness and light as the ceiling gracefully swept downwards and the large window overlooked the quaint little town. There was a full-sized bed against a wall, and a plain but useful chest of drawers on the other side of the room. There was a rocking chair by the window, and a basket full of yarn and needles next to it. Hermione walked to the window and looked out of it, her eyes wandering over the flat rooftops and cheerful flowers that lined the roads.  
  
"I didn't know you spoke Mandarin Chinese." Snape's icy tone cut through the warmth of the room, sending a chill through Hermione's spine. Turning, Hermione did her best to smile. "I would be willing to bet there are many things you don't know about me," she said. She forced herself not to remember the days she had sat alone at home with education as her only friend. Snape's eyes flashed. "There are many things I wouldn't care to know about you, Miss Granger," he sneered. Neither of them noticed that they were still speaking Mandarin.  
  
Hermione's lips set in a determinedly straight line. The sneer on her face was a match for Snape's, and would have had Neville practically wetting himself.  
  
"If you would just for one moment stop wallowing in self pity you might actually have some friends for once. We're going to be stuck here, and of course it's not my favorite occurrence but I'm not going to be nasty about it. You're away from the classroom now, Professor Snape, and it would be much more tolerable if you would drop your solitary preference and the damned walls you have surrounded yourself with! You have no need to make anyone fear you here, and I certainly will not fall prey to your cruel remarks and your unabashed rudeness. I know that you come from a line of kind, noble gentlemen. The Snape family is a proud and respected one, known for maintaining its neutrality in the war against the Dark Lord. I know you were seduced and tricked by the Dark Lord, but the moment you rebuked being a Death Eater was the moment you were forgiven of your past wrongdoings. Even if leaving Voldemort's side is not good enough for most, it's good enough for the few that matter, those that now trust and care about you, even if they sometimes don't show it. I believe that you are an intellectually swift man, with a passion for potions and maybe, just maybe, there's someone nice to talk to deep down inside. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go help Pearly prepare dinner."  
  
Hermione brusquely brushed past Snape, leaving him mouthing furiously at the spot where she had stood.  
  
  
  
"I must say that this is an excellent dinner, dear," said Snape, smiling sarcastically. Hermione shook her head. "Pearly made most of it, I just helped. You know, getting dishes, tearing up lettuce, learning how to boil water..." Hermione grinned and Pearly laughed lightly. Everyone was seated around a low table, and illuminated by numerous candles was a delicious array of food. They all chatted amicably and discussed the carpentry business or the weather.  
  
After dinner, as Hermione was helping Pearly clean the dishes, Pearly noticed Hermione (whose job was to dry them) staring off into space, taking dishes and rubbing them with her hand, her towel cold, lonely, and forgotten on the floor. "So, was that your first fight?" Pearly asked quietly. Hermione's reverie was broken and she looked over at Pearly. She sighed. "It wasn't a fight, really. It was... he... we just had to work something out." Pearly nodded but didn't say anything.  
  
  
  
Hermione jumped as the bedroom door opened. She had gone to her room after the dishes were done. She turned from the window, and when she saw it was Snape, she abruptly faced the window again. Gazing out over the rooftops, Hermione felt a sense of calm work itself into her being.  
  
"Hermione."  
  
Startled, she realized Snape was standing right behind her-. She made sure to remember that he was more silent and just as graceful as a cat when he moved. Without turning, she said, "Hermione, not Miss Granger? I suppose I shall call you Severus."  
  
She heard him sigh. "You're right, Miss- Hermione. I don't have to put on my act like I do at Hogwarts. I have to act that way so that young Malfoy won't report anything to Lucius and therefore raise any suspicion as to where my loyalties lie. But I never was a very agreeable person to begin with, so don't be expecting a "buddy" that you can have pillow fights with. Of course, my disposition was certainly helped along by that fool Black and his damn friend Potter, constantly humiliating and mocking me. The popular ones always victimize the outcast, that's how it's always been and how it always will be. Now, it is late and I suggest we get to bed."  
  
Hermione turned and looked at him. She inwardly shared his pain, as she had never been the most liked person her whole life either. She went over to the bed and took out her wand. "Dividium," she said, casting a spell to split the bed into two separate beds. Nothing happened. She tried again. Her wand did nothing and behaved as if it was a piece of wood which, essentially, it was. She looked at Snape, who had an amused expression on his face.  
  
"I forgot to mention that our wands might not work. The time travel must have rendered them useless." Hermione rolled her eyes. Great. Kicking off her shoes, she climbed into the bed.  
  
Snape took the pillow on his side and the extra blanket that was draped on his side of the bed. Hermione gave him a questioning look when he dropped them to the floor. He grinned bemusedly and said, "it wouldn't be very gentlemanly to share a bed with someone to whom I'm not married."  
  
"Well, what if Pearly or Ling comes in here and finds you sleeping on the floor? They may find a newlywed couple that won't sleep in the same bed a little suspicious," Hermione reasoned. "They also might find a newlywed couple without rings a little suspicious," Snape said wryly. Hermione gasped. "I don't think they noticed, but we can use these from now on." She reached up and took the small gold hoop earrings out of her ears and gave one to Snape. It fit perfectly on her ring finger, and to her surprise, also on his. She noticed for the first time what graceful, slender fingers he had.  
  
Snape gathered up the pillow and blanket and threw them on the bed. He climbed in beside her, extinguishing the solitary candle that was lit. Hermione's eyes hardly had to adjust- there was adequate moonlight so that she could see the outlines of everything in the room. She closed her eyes and settled into the bed.  
  
"Goodnight, Hermione," Snape said.  
  
"Goodnight, Severus."  
  
  
  
Hermione awoke with a start. She didn't have to wonder what woke her because, through the dim light coming from the window, she could see and hear Snape screaming and thrashing wildly. Hermione leaned over to wake him, but one of his arms swung and hit her across the jaw. Grimacing, she grabbed the arm and shook him with her free hand.  
  
Hermione suddenly found herself on her back. Snape's hands wrapped around her throat and the weight of his body almost crushing her. He seemed to realize what he was doing and let her go. Hermione sat up, massaging her throat. She looked over at Snape. He was sitting upright, his knees to his chest and his eyes wide with fright. Hermione gently put her hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump. He looked at her, his breathing ragged and quick.  
  
Hermione scooted over to him. He mumbled something about "no dreamless sleep potion" and "nightmare". She cautiously put her arms around him. Snape leaned into her and Hermione rocked back and forth gently. She asked no questions, just comforted him. Snape found that he wasn't afraid of going back to sleep, and he didn't have a single nightmare for the remainder of the night.  
  
  
  
Hermione woke slowly, enjoying the soft pillow and the warm blanket. She opened her eyes, and after they had adjusted to the light, she discovered that the room was empty. Goodness, did I really comfort Professor Snape last night? That was the strangest experience. She climbed out of bed, still in her school robes. She opened the door after a few minutes primping (there was a set of combs on a small table). She looked down in surprise. On the doorstep was a note in woman's handwriting on top of a few articles of clothing. It read:  
  
Just until you can get on your feet.  
  
  
  
Snape's muscles screamed at him as he trudged up a hill alongside Ling. It had been his first day on the job and he was quite unaccustomed to physical work. Ling had knocked on the door when it was still dark outside, and as they climbed the hill, the sun was waving a sleepy goodbye. Their lunch had been meagre and rushed. The other workers had been amazed at how pale he was, but they encouraged him and told him that after a week's work he would be just as strong and sun-browned as they were. He had thought back to last night and he thought Miss- Hermione was just as disgusted at his show of weakness as he was.  
  
He shuddered. The nightmares plagued him whenever he didn't take the Dreamless Sleep Potion- and sometimes when the horrifying images were so powerful they rendered the potion useless as well.  
  
He smiled wearily as the house came into view and Pearly was waiting for them. Alongside her was Hermione, looking very beautiful and exotic in her brightly patterned Muggle clothes.  
  
  
  
A few weeks passed without much occurrence. The nightmares were a nightly occurrence, so Hermione and Snape would stay up and talk quietly until Snape felt he was ready to go back to sleep. They had earned enough to buy some of their own clothes. Hermione, sitting next to Snape one night at dinner, noticed that his hands were shaking. She looked away and answered a question Pearly had asked her, with Snape's curious shaking still in the back of her mind.  
  
Snape sat in front of the window, studying the town before him. The mood reflected off of a creek nearby and illuminated the full-blossomed cherry trees. He had felt odd for the past few days, but just suspected that was tiredness from working so hard.  
  
"Do you need something, Hermione?" he asked.  
  
He grinned slightly as he heard her utter a not-so-intellectual word. "How did you know?"  
  
She grumpily walked in front of him, her arms crossed and her lips pursed in a pout. Snape just smiled wordlessly. "How are you feeling, Severus?" she asked, drawing a suspicious look from him. Hermione leaned forward and placed a cool hand on Snape's forehead. Before he quickly drew away, Hermione registered burning hot skin.  
  
"I'm fine," Snape snapped. He suddenly started coughing violently. He turned away from her, and Hermione gasped in horror as Snape fell to the floor, unconscious. Her heart started racing and a tingle of fear took her over as she rushed to his side.  
  
"Severus!"  
  
~*~ 


End file.
